English term
has been
Should this be "have been" or is it ok as "has been"?
| 5 +12 | have been |
Carol Gullidge
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| 3 +2 | It should be have been ... |
jccantrell
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| 4 | (comment not for points) |
Craig Meulen
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Non-PRO (1): Edith Kelly
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Responses
United Kingdom
poetically precise prose with... panache
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English
have been
| agree |
Mark Nathan
: they have been, although, in conversation, the singular is commonly used in the sort of example you give.
4 mins
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thanks, Marc! Yes, that's true, although incorrect, and to be avoided in writing. Often seen when 2 linked ideas are lumped together - but I don't think these 2 ideas are close enough to come under 1 single category
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Craig Meulen
7 mins
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thanks, Craig!
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kmkrowens
11 mins
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thanks, kathleen!
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Nesrin
18 mins
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thanks, Nesrin!
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awilliams
: I think it's fine as it is because it refers to "sophistication and diversification of features" as a unit
18 mins
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thanks, Amy! That's the point I was making (to Marc), but while "growling and barking" are a unit, "sophistication" and "diversification" are 2 separate things.
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Patricia Townshend (X)
28 mins
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thanks, Patricia!
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| agree |
Terry Burgess
32 mins
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thanks, Terry!
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V_Nedkov
44 mins
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thanks, V.Nedkova!
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| agree |
Jack Doughty
1 hr
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thanks, Jack!
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| agree |
Sheila Wilson
: incorrect today, probably becoming correct tomorrow as the rules relax - that's the way English is moving
1 hr
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thanks, Sheila - yes, who knows! Although things become "generally accepted" long before they actually become "correct"!
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Astrid Elke Witte
1 hr
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thanks, Astrid!
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| agree |
Melzie
1 hr
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thanks, Melzie!
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Refugio
2 hrs
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thanks, Ruth!
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orientalhorizon
9 hrs
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thanks, OH!
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David Moore (X)
: I'm sorry Carol, but this sounds monstrous to my ENS ears; IMO, the two terms ARE to be treated as a single compound term.
21 hrs
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to your WHAT ears??
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United States
Was nicht ist, kann noch werden.
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
It should be have been ...
(comment not for points)
Do "sophistication" and "diversification" really belong so closely together in this sentence or the argument of the author? "Sophisitication" is a noun referring to a simple property of the features, whereas "diversification" is a noun referring to a _process_. I can imagine the author might mean:
the sophistication and diversity of features ... (properties)
the increase in sophistication and diversity of .... (process/es)
But of course, I can't tell without seeing the surrounding sentences.
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Note added at 30 mins (2007-10-17 15:28:20 GMT)
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Thank you for the context. Now it is clear that there is a slight misunderstanding - before it says "evolving" and after there is "advancements", which is clearly plural, so I think the author wants to say "increase in sophistication". I suggest:
... pace. In particular, in recent years there has been an impressive increase in their sophistication and the diversification of features. However, these advancements ...
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Note added at 32 mins (2007-10-17 15:30:23 GMT)
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Or:
... pace. In particular, in recent years there have been impressive increases in sophistication and the diversity of features. However, these advancements ...
Discussion